Principal Ryan Carlson presented a school spotlight on Dec. 8 highlighting West Middle School’s block schedule and elective offerings, and a succession of students spoke about their classroom experiences and skills gained.

Carlson said West has about 880 students this year and described the district’s shift to an alternating block schedule to expand exploratory elective options. Students representing classes such as Art of Cooking, Interior Design & Fashion, Competitive Sports, Unified PE, 3‑D Art, Print/Paint/Draw, Dance and Theater described hands‑on projects, leadership opportunities, inclusivity and how electives helped them discover interests to carry into high school.

Students gave concrete examples: an eighth grader said Art of Cooking teaches recipe development and kitchen skills; another student explained 3‑D Art projects using clay; a Unified PE student described building friendships and inclusive activities with partners with disabilities. Principal Carlson and board members said the student testimonials reinforced the value of student agency and the district’s efforts to align middle‑school electives with high‑school career and technical education programs.

Board members asked about elective selection and scheduling; Carlson said the district adopted a new scheduling tool (Timely) and that most students who list top five choices now receive two of their preferred electives. The spotlight concluded with board thanks to the students and staff.